Bicycle



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. KIBBE.

BICYCLE.

No. 393,837. Patented Dec. 4, 18-88.

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(No Model.)

G. KIBBE.

, BICYCLE.

Patented Dec; 4, 1888.

FATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE KIBBE, OF AMSTERDAM, NEW" YORK.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,837, dated December 4, 1888. Application filed June 30, 1888. Serial No. 278,633. (No model.)

T all whmn it may concern;-

Be it known that I, GEORGE KIBBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amsterdam, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do made adjustable to suit riders of different sizes, and also to so construct, the actuating mechanism of the bicycle that great speed can be attained with the least expenditure of power; and the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter (le scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of a bicycle provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail eler ation of the actuating mechanism of my improved bicycle. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the ad justable pedals. Fig. 4 is a detail view in partial section of one of the crank-disks at tached to the axle of a driving-wheel. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the gearing and accompanying parts,whereby the driver is caused to revolve more than once during a single revolution of the foot. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of said gearing and accompanying parts. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modification of the gearing and accompanying parts for actuating the shaft of the main driving-wheel, a portion of said view being and 11.

broken away to show the ball-bearing between the larger gear and its surrounding.

casing. Fig-8 is a detail view of the bracket shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a front or edge view of the same part shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a side elevation'of a modified form of the pedal-crank and crank-arm. Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional plan view on the line 00 00 of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the pedal-arm, certain parts being slightly modified from those shown in Figs. Fig. 13 is a detailed perspective driving-wheel axle.

, view of the metallic sleeve which partially surrounds the pedal-crank arm, said metallic parts being slightly modified in construction from that shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14: is a perspective view of the pedal-shaft which passes through the pedal-arm and the metallic piece that partially surrounds the same. Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view on the line 0c of Fig. 7, and shows the arrangement of the balls which constitute the ball-bearln g between the larger gear and its surrounding casin g.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the di'lferent figures.

011 each end of the axle of the drivingwheel is rigidly secured a disk or small wheel, A, having at a certain point in its periphery a horizontally-projecting pin, a, so that the disk or wheel is in reality a crank-disk or crank-whee].

For convenience in the description of the invention I have in the drawings represented only the disk that is located on one end of the In general the structure of the frame of the bicycle is similar to that ordinarily employed in the construction of bicycles, and hence it will be unnecessary in this description to enter into any special detail of the arrangement of the parts of this frame.

On the part B of the frame whichextends (on one side of the driving-wheel) from the axle to the main portion of the frame in the front of the driving-wheel is located at a convenient distance from the axle of the drivingwheel a downwardly-extending portion, D, having a socketed upper end that surrounds the frame B and slotted at d to receive the clamping-bolt E, which is adjustable therein, as will be presently more fully explained. The bolt or rod E has a central collar or flange, e. The portion of this bolt adjacent .to the flange e, on one side thereof, is squared to enable it to fit closely within the slot d.

Furthermore, said bolt is properly provided with washers and nuts to enable it to have the pedal-arm F properly attached to it in such a manner that said pedal-arm may easily revolve. The bolt E can thus be adjusted so as to occupyany desired position throughout the length of the slot, and can be firmly held,

in place by screwing tightly the nut on one end thereof, which will bind the collar c close against the side of the part I), and thus immovably secure the bolt. The pedal-arm I can easily revolve upon the other end of the bolt, as it is held loosely between a nut and washer on the outermost end of said bolt and the intermediate collar, c, as is clearly shown in Fig. 23.

The pedal-arm in reality consists of two parts-the part F, which is revoluble upon the bolt E, and the part F, which is bolted to the part I and which carries the pedal G. This construction ot? the pedal-arm is preterable for the purpose of enabling the connecting-rod t, which extends between the pedalarm and the crank-disk A, to be easily connected to said pedal-arm, the connection being ettected at the point where the portions F and F of the pedal-arm are joined, as will be perceived upon inspection of Figs. 2 and 3. The connecting-rod U is attached to the crankalisk A by having the projection (1 pass through an eye in the end ot said rod, the outer end of said project ion (I being provided with a nut to hold the connect ing-rod in proper place. It will thus be evident that when the rider operates the pedal and causes it to revolve in the direction shown in dotted lines in Fig 2 the connecting-rod C will operate upon the crank A, and thus connnunicate mo tion to the axle of the driving-wheel, and consequently to the wheel, which will be rotated and the bicycle propelled. Inasmuch as the bolt E is adjustable within certain limits in the slot (7, the pedal G can be elevated or lowered to suit the sizes of ditterent persons who may use the bicycle.

In Figs. 5 and ti 1 have shown an improved arrangement of gearin for the bi ':ycle,whereby the driving-wheel maybe revolved several times while the foot is going once around its circle of movement. By this arrangement loss of speed is prevented. Said arrangement may be used in connection with the adjustable pedal mechanism already described, or may be used independentlyof it, as it will be clearly observed that the adjustable pedal may be used or notwith ditt'erent constructions of the mechanism for accelerating the speed of the bicycle without increasing the expenditure of power. \Vith this arrangement a smaller driving-wheel may be employed.

The structure of my mechanism above described renders the bicycle safer than the ordinary bicvcle, because it diminishes the liability of headers; but with the construction now to be described the safe use of the bicycle increased to a still greater degree.

A small gear-wheel or pinion, II, is securely fastened to the axle of the driving-wheel. I denotes a larger internally-geared wheel whose teeth mesh with those of the pinion II, said internally-geared wheel I having a central hearing at z',which receives a horizontal journal, J, formed on the end of a frame, J,

which is supported by being attached to the frame K, whose lower end connects with the axle of the driving whcel, said frame Ii being a. portion of the frame of the bicycle. The part J is in reality a sort of a bracket, it being so formed, as shown in Fig. 5, that it will pass under the rim ot' the interltally-geared wheel I and between said rim and the pinion II, and thus be permitted to hold the journal J in proper position for the wheel I to revolve upon it.

The outer periphery of the wheel I is provided with a horizontally-projwting extension, I), which is properly screw-threaded to receive a nut at its outer end, between which nut and the collar on the said extension the connetting-rod t, or any other actuating-rod, may be located. lly meansot' this rod it is evident that the internally-geared wheel I may be made to revolve, and since this meshes with the pinion II on the axle of the drivingwheel the revolution of said wheel I will actuate the driving-wheel and propel the bicycle; hence it is evident that this new arrangement ot' gearing may be connected.with the pedal arrangement the same as the small disk A, which was above dtscribed as being connected to the axle of the driving-wheel. In fact, it will be. clearly seen that this gearing arrangement may be substituted in the place ot the crank A, and that good results may be obtained by using all the parts of the combination, both the improved gearing and also the adjustable pedal arrangement, although I by no means confine my invention to the useol all the parts of the combination at once, but think that it is broad enough to permit me to employ the adjustable pedal arrangement and the erank-movement in connection therewith independently of the gearing system, or to make use of the gearing independent of the improved pedal mechanism.

In Figs. 10, ll, l2, l3, and It is shown a modification in the ctmstruction of the pedal crank-arm. Ilere 1 denotes the pe .lal-arm, and (l the pedal, which is carried by said arm. One end of the arm F is formed with a bearing, A at which point the bearing is keyed to a journal or shaft, A, on the crank A, which has a hearing, A", to which the connecting-rod is attached when the pedal and its crank-arm are located in operative position in a bicycle. It will thus be observed that the pedal crank-arm is fastened to the connecting-rod crank in a way similarly to that ordinarily employed with bicycle-cranks in common use. The pedal G is carried by the pedal crank-arm F and is adjustable to different positions, so that; it may suit riders of different sizes. The means by which the pedal is made adjustable relatively to the bearing of its crank-arm are as follows: The crank-arm piece at the end opposite to the bearing A is formed with an elongated slot, g. Alongside, the crank-arm is located a supplemental arm or strip, B, which may be of various forms. It may have the form shown in and '1 l, where it is simply a straight piece located alongside of the crank-arm, or

it may have the form shown in Fig. 12, where it is formed with a sort of a sleeve portion which partially encircles the cranlcarm, as at B or it may be fashioned similarly to the part B of Fig. 13, which part is a sort of a sleeve surrounding partially the crank-arm.

These different forms may be employed at the pleasure of the person who constructs the bicycles, and various other modifications of these forms maydoubtlessbe'devised and used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The su lemental )iece B B or B as the case may be, is provided with a slot, 72, which,

when the said piece is in position relatively to the crank-arm, will be opposite the slot g in said crank-arm. The supplemental piece is adjustable endwise, so as to locate its slot h opposite different points in the length of 'the long slot g, and it is provided with a and is so; connected to the plate that when the head of said pin is laid hold of it maybe pulled outward, together with the springplate, in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig; 11, and when the pin D is released the resiliency of the plate C will tend to carry it back into its former position.

The crank-arm F is provided with a series of small holes, (1 (Z d, which are adapted to be entered by .the pin D. It will thus be observed that the part B, B or B maybe easily and quickly adjusted endwise upon the crank-arm F and that the springdog or catch will serve to hold it firmly in any one of the several positions to which it may be adj nsted. a indicates the shaft of the pedal G. This shaft is formed with a disk or collar, 1), which rests in close contact 'with the side of the crank-arm opposite that where the supplemental part B is located. The pedal-shaft has also-a flattened journal portion, 0, lying next to the collar 1), and, also, it is formed with a screw-threaded end adapted to receive a nut, on. Thus it will be seen that when the pedal-is properly located the flattened jour= nal c is passed through the slot h, which is of proper shape and size to receive said journal, and that then by the use of the nut m the pedal and its shaft are tightly fastened in position. By loosening the nut m and by properly manipulating the spring dog the pedal may at any time be adjusted to suit riders of different sizes. The sleeved form of the part B, with the form of B and B in Figs. 12 and 13, are doubtless preferable in of balls or rollers, Z Z.

many cases to the simpler form of Figs. 10 and 11, for as the sleeve partially surrounds the crank-arm the parts are compacted more tightly together and the device is stronger and more secure. However, I do not intend to confine myself to any one of these forms, but describe and illustrate them all as indicating different waysin which the invention may be carried into practical effect, and I reserve the liberty of varying from them sufficiently to make my improved devices suitable for use in different situations.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 15, I have shown a modified arrangement of the gearing and other mechanical parts for. actuating immediately the driving-shaft of the main wheel. Here the pinion I-I meshes with the internallygeared wheel I, as above, which is located in a circular surrounding. casing, G, which is supported by being firmly fastened to a bracket, F, that is attached to the frame E, whose lower end connects with the axle of the driving-wheel, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, said frame E being a portion of the frame of the bicycle. The arrangement of the bracket- F and its manner of connection with the frame F. and the casing G is clearly shown in Fig. 9. The rim or casing G has at one point in its periphery a removable portion, is, (see Fig. 7,) which, when in place, is firmly fastened to the rim by means of pins or screws through projections or flanges thereon, and which, when removed, permits easy access to be had to the interior of the rim or casing for the removal and insertion of the balls which form the ball-bearing.

In Fig. 15is shown a sectional view of the rim G and the large internally-geared wheel I. 'Upon inspection of this figure it will be seen that the outer periphery of the internally-geared wheel I is formed with a medial V -shaped groove, and also that the inner face of the rim G is likewise formed with a similar V-shaped groove. Between and within these two grooves is arranged a circular series By the use of this ballbearing and by the arrangement of the several parts of the machine in the manner above stated the device will be presented in its most useful and excellent form, and will be much more serviceable and a much more complete machine than that afforded by the ordinary construction.

The crank may be attached direct to the internally-geared wheel I. \Vhen this is done, use may be made of a sort of bracket or crank, K, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6,) which is attached to the gear I similar to the mode of attachment employed with the bracket F.

Various modifications may probably be made within wide limits in the arrangement of the several mechanical parts that constitute my invention as at present explained and illustrated, and I do not desire to confine myself to the exact location, size, form, or relation of the mechanical elements of the in- 4 Vention, but reserve the liberty of changing and diversifying the same to suit the special circumstances of individual cases with which the invention may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the pedal consisting of the parts I F, the extension I), secured to the part ii of the main frame of the bicycle and having a slot, (7, and the adjustable bolt E, located in said slot, having a rigid collar, e, and suitable washers and nuts thereon, the said bolt carrying the part F of the pedalarm, all arranged substantially as described.

2. In a bicycle, the combination of a pedalarm having an elongated slot near one end, an adjustable device having a sleeved portion that partially surrounds the pedal-arm, said device being slotted opposite to the slotin the pedal-arm and having a dog or clutch for securing it in any position relatively to the pedal-arm, and the pedal connected to the adjustable device, substantially as described.

3. In a bicycle, the combination, with the pedal-arm, of an adjustable device carried thereby and provided with means for securing it in any position to which it may have been adjusted relatively thereto, and a pedal connected to said adjustable device, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the pedal-arm having a bearing at one end and the elongated slot near the other, and having the series of perforations, an adjustable device carried thereby and slotted at a point opposite the elongated slot, a dog or clutch for holding the adjustable device in the position to which it may have been adjusted, consisting of a spring-plate and a pin that enters the perforations in the pedal-arm, and the pedal whose shaft passes through the slots in both the arm and the adjustable part and is secured to the adjustable part, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the pedal-arm F slotted at g, and having perforations d d d, the adjustable part B, slotted at h, and having a spring-dog consisting of plate 0 and pin D, and the pedal G, having shaft a, with collar 1), flattened journal 0', and nut in, all arranged substantially as described.

6. In a bicycle, the combination of the pedal-arm F slotted at g, and having perforations (l d d, the adjustable part B, slotted at 71, the pedal G, having shaft a, collar 1), flattened journal 0, and nut m, and a springdog for holding the adjustable strip in place when adjusted, consisting of the plate C, slotted at e (2, through which slot pass pins ff on the strip, and the central pin, I), all substantially as described.

7. In a bicycle, the combination, with the pedal-arm slotted at g, the adjustable strip slotted at h, and a device for clutching or dogging the adjustable strip, of the pedal G, having shaft a, with collar 1), flattened journal 0, which journal passes through the slots g and 72, and the securing-nut in, all substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the axle of the driving-wheel having a pinion thereon, of an internally-geared wheel meshing therewith, a rim or casing surrounding the gear-wheel, a ball-bearing between the said casing and the wheel, a bracket supporting the casing, a pedal mechanism and a connecting-rod between the same, and a crank 011 the gear-wheel, all the parts being arranged for joint operation substantially as described.

9. The combination of the axle J of the driving-wheel, having thereon pinion H, the internally-geared wheel I, the rim or casing 11', the bracket I secured thereto, the frame E, to which the bracket is attached, and the ball-bearing between the casing i and wheel I, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the pinion I1, gearwheel I, casing G, having removable part 7;, the series of balls I Z in the groove between the casing and the wall, and the supportingframe for said parts, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I attix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE KIBBE.

Witnesses:

MARTIN S. STORER, J. SPENCER FISHER. 

